Nightmares and Past Troubles


Disclaimer: For the geniuses who don't know…I don't own, so don't sue.


A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO LUNATIC PANDORA! Thanks for the review. This is for you, and yeah, Kagome is going to take it wrong...along with everybody else.


blah blah ...thoughts

blah blah> ... mental speech of someone else inside a character's mind

blah blah ... while in a nightmare, this denotes thought

"blah blah" ... dialogue

"blah blah" ... sound/action in dialogue

blah blah ... sound/action outside of dialogue

blah blah ... emphasis

#FLASH#

blah blah ... a flashback

#BACK#

((Psst...)) ... I'm talking to you


"Where the heck am I?"

Inuyasha stood in a large field.

"Hello!" A feminine voice called to him.

Inuyasha turned to the source of the voice and his eyes widened. "M-Mother!"

The woman smiled softly. "Yes. Hello Inuyasha."

Inuyasha was still shocked. He'd never dreamed of his mother still alive. Usually he would just have nightmares of her dead, or dying on the really bad nights. But here she was…smiling and laughing at the look on his face. He watched happily as she took his hand and dragged him around the field, pointing to flowers and having him sniff them. Unfortunately, not long after Inuyasha had that thought of nightmares, the sky turned blood red and the field deteriorated right before his eyes. He sniffed the air in suspicion and caught a whiff of smoke. "Fire! Mother we have to go!" He reached for his mother, but she was not there. "Mother?" He looked about wildly. Where did she go? I've got to find her! I'm not losing her to another fire…not again.

"Mother? Answer me! Where are you!" He jumped and ran all over the burning field, but found her nowhere.

"Inuyasha! Help me!"

Inuyasha turned once more and found his mother. She was tied to a tree. For a moment he stood there, caught in a memory. No… The fire began to lick at the tree and creep up to his helpless mother. "No! I'm coming Mother!" But no matter how fast he ran, he realized…it would be too late. And he was right, almost. He was able to cut the ropes and grab his mother, but she was burned very badly. She was dying in his arms. Again. "Mother…no…please don't die. Not again. Not to another fire."

She reached up to stroke his cheek, but ended up coughing heavily. "My dear little Inuyasha…can you ever forgive me?"

Inuyasha frowned. "I don't understand. For what?"

"Look. It's raining." And so it rained in his dream, or rather nightmare. But the thing that caught Inuyasha was the voice. He looked down…to face a dying Kikyou.

"Kikyou! But how-"

"Shhh…no words. The rain…is red." Inuyasha frowned once more, but noticed something. Blood. But it wasn't from Kikyou. He looked up. The rain was red alright. As the sky was blood red, so it rained. Blood. The woman he thoughtto beKikyou started to cough as the rain of blood covered her. Inuyasha attempted to wipe her face. However, as he wiped her face, the blood simply smeared. He removed his sleeve from her face and saw another face. His eyes widened in shock and slight desperation.

The young woman whispered to him. "Inuyasha…how could you?" And she was dead.

He screamed.

"Noooooooooooooooooo!"


"Nooooooooooooooo!"

Inuyasha bolted up from the nightmare. He looked up and saw Miroku, Shippou, Sango, Kirara, and Kagome gathered around him. He shoved them away and stood shakily. Shippou looked surprised and Miroku and Sango exchanged looks.

Kagome looked at him worriedly. I've never heard him scream that way before. "Inuyasha. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said gruffly."Let's go. We should head to the village now if that's what you plan to do."

"Where's Kaja and Sesshomaru?"

"I'm right here runt." Sesshomaru had been sitting off to the side the entire time. He too, though he'd never admit it, wondered what Inuyasha dreamt of. What could make him cry out in such a manner? Again, the cold part of himself that Sesshomaru embraced comforted him, convincing him that he was only interested in this because it was yet another weakness for him to expose. "What were you screaming for?"

"Who was screaming?" Kaja appeared in the doorway and Inuyasha rushed over to her. He looked all around her. In front, behind, he checked for anything and everything. Kaja arched an eyebrow. "Inuyasha? What are you doing?"

Inuyasha said nothing. But...but.. I could have sworn the girl in that nightmare was her…or was it someone else? I couldn't see all that well… "You're okay."

"Yes…why wouldn't I be?"

"…" Inuyasha left the room and then the shrine altogether.

"Okay. What was that?" Kaja was confused.

"Nothing. We should go now." Kagome brushed by Kaja roughly.

Kaja's ears twitched and she shrugged. "So we're leaving now?"

"Yes we are. Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am ready Sango-san."

"Let's go then." Sesshomaru walked out briskly.

Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kaja followed.


Inuyasha jumped from tree to tree. That wench has some nerve…


Kagome was on her bike and Shippou could practically feel the anger and frustration coming from her. "Kagome? What's wrong?"

"Yes. Something has happened. Will you tell us?" Sango rode alongside the bike on Kirara's larger demon form. The cat demon needed only to walk slowly to stay in pace with the bike.

Miroku sat on Kirara's back as well. "Inuyasha seemed rather angry. Did you two have a fight again?"

Kagome flinched and the others knew that Inuyasha and Kagome did have another fight. Sesshomaru was jumping tree to tree as Inuyasha was and had nothing to say.

Shippou peered curiously at the girl. "What did you two fight about?"

Kagome sighed and knew there was no way out on this one. "Well it started like this…"


#FLASH#

"Inuyasha! Get back here now!" Kagome stomped after Inuyasha when he left.

Inuyasha was walking slowly so Kagome caught up easily. "What do you want?"

Kagome was already frustrated. Not to mention that, despite her dreams of Inuyasha occurring again, she couldn't help but see the replay of Inuyasha embracing Tazekaja. Embracing was bad enough, but it was the open display of affection that she couldn't get over. Her heart knew it, but her mind refused to accept her (supposedly) secret love for Inuyasha. And so her love for him was not fully recognized by Kagome, herself. So she did the only thing she could think of at the moment. "SIT BOY!"

BAM

Inuyasha was face-flat on the ground. He rose slowly. "What was that for wench?"

Kagome huffed. "For being a jerk this whole time. You still haven't given me an explanation, and quite calling me a wench! My name is Kagome! I don't call you a hanyou so don't you call me a wench."

Inuyasha grimaced at the word 'hanyou'. He was surprised that she'd never called him hanyou, even though practically everyone had at one time or another…if they didn't still continue to call him by that. "So? You'll get no explanation because I don't have to tell you anything."

Kagome wasn't really listening. All she could hear was past arguments and all of them ending with him getting the final word. Arg! Why is he so different? Why can't he…he…be like guys from my time! She was lost in her ranting thoughts and didn't seem to notice when she started speaking out loud. "I'm tired of putting up with you! You and your whining! Do this Kagome. Shut up Kagome. Let's go already Kagome. You're so stupid Kagome. Well I'm sick of it!"

Inuyasha took a small half-step back. He'd never said that to her. Not like that. He'd say something when she was in a good mood and she could tell he wasn't serious. He'd never ordered her to do anything. She usually did what she did on her own and hardly ever listened unless there was serious danger around them. And he'd only rush her when he felt something bad was coming. Unfortunately, that bad thing always caught them anyway... But…he did not say any of this. He was too surprised by her outburst and ranting.

Kagome continued to unconsciously voice her thoughts. Her eyes were closed and she was pacing now. "I wish you would just grow up! Sometimes I wonder what possessed me to break the seal anyway! You'd be useless if it wasn't for you being a demon. But only half at that! I see why Kikyou sealed you-"

Inuyasha was speechless still. His ears lowered in sadness a little at the Kikyou comment and the shot at him being just a half-demon. Maybe she's right…I would be useless without my demon blood. But even then I'm only a hanyou… He was looking down and didn't notice or sensethe black aura around her or the glowing red symbol on her forehead.


Kagome had no idea what she was thinking now. These weren't her thoughts! Who are you! Get out of my head! She argued with the voice in her head.

Shut up child! He'll pay for what he did to me.

What are you talking about? Who are you!

Nevermind that. You will help me destroy his spirit. Then he will become careless and distracted. It is then I will strike and make sure the job gets done this time around…

No!

Too late child. Witness your damage…


The argument was over and on the outside she continues to rant at Inuyasha. "You're impossible to deal with! I don't know why I bother! You're so immature and rude, stupid even. I don't see how I could have anything to do with a dirty hanyou like you. I wish, I wish…arg! Why can't you just be like the boys from my time! Maybe you'd be better that way!" The voice was gone from her head and the possessed feeling was gone. She gasped,both hands coming to cover her mouth,as she realized the things she heard in her head had been voiced the whole time. She reached out to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha jerked back with his head down. His ears, usually up and alert, were drooping and his hair shadowed his face. "Stay away."

Kagome's eyes watered as she realized how hurt Inuyasha must be. She reached for him again. "Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha jumped a couple feet back this time. "No. You wouldn't want to dirty yourself now would you?"

Before Kagome could respond, Inuyasha was gone. She whispered to empty air, one arm reaching out to someone that was no longer there. "Inuyasha…it wasn't me…I'm so sorry."

#BACK#


"And that's what happened." Kagome was crying. "I didn't mean to, really. But that voice wouldn't let go and I couldn't stop it!"

Shippou tried to console the distressed girl. Sango had nothing to say, but Miroku did. "Hmmm. Do you suppose it could have been Kikyou?"

Kagome paled. What if that had been Kikyou? The voice didn't sound like hers, but she's such a powerful miko... She may have done it... "I don't know…maybe. We have to find Inuyasha! Come on!" And with that she got off of her bike and got on Kirara, along with Shippou. They hurried to the forest ahead, hoping to catch Inuyasha before something bad could happen.


"And so I left."

Inuyasha was sitting in the grass.

"I see. Anything else?"

"No,I just left. Do you think she was right?"

"No! Of course not. Kagome doesn't know she's talking about. Are you sure there wasn't something wrong with her?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Well, at least I didn't notice anything. But I guess that doesn't say much."

"Enough. Come on."

Inuyasha was dragged to his feet. "Huh? Kaja what are you doing?"

Kaja shook her head and smiled. "We still have a village to get to." Her eyes softened and seemed a bit sad and very concerned. "You okay? We can wait if you're hurt."

Inuyasha stared blankly at the ground. "No…I'm fine. It's not like I'm bleeding or something. I should be okay."

Kaja smiled sadly. "You sure?"

He grabbed her hand and ran along. "Yeah." A small smile was back on his face. "Thanks Mother." Kaja smiled back, happy to see him a bit more normal. What she saw when she first arrived scared her greatly.


#FLASH#

Kaja jumped along the trees after sensing something wrong. Two scents caught her nose. The first was Sesshomaru. He wasn't doing anything, but jumping around towards the village far away. Another, more familiar, scent caught her nose. Inuyasha. She smiled to herself and jumped out of the trees and continued on that way in order to go faster. She paused as his scent became stronger and eventually came to a stop. "Inuyasha?" She couldn't find him. Her search became frantic as she caught a light whiff of blood. Then she saw silver from behind a tree. "Inuyasha. What's wro-" She gasped in shock.

Inuyasha was sitting up against a tree. The thing that frightened her was what he was doing. The half-demon was staring at his own blood as it dripped from his claws. Kaja searched him and saw claw marks on his chest. She kneeled beside him. "Inuyasha! What did you do?" There was no response. Inuyasha continued to stare at his bloody claws in what appeared to be detached curiosity. A confused look was on his face.It as if he didn't understand why the blood was there.Kaja shook Inuyasha. "Snap out of it!" Nothing. She panicked and glowed blue. Water rose from a nearby stream and splashed in Inuyasha face and soaked him.

He blinked and shook his head. "Wha-?" He looked at her. "Kaja? What are you doing here?" He hissed as she prodded his healing chest.

"What happened?"

Inuyasha stared at the priestess for a moment and looked away. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Why?"

"I-I can't."

"Of course you can. Please tell me. I want to know why you hurt yourself. Please."

Inuyasha sighed and tried not to look at Kaja. He knew what would happen if he did. Don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look... He looked anyway. Light aqua had turned to a deep aqua as sadness clouded them. Inuyasha sighed. "Alright, alright. Enough with the sad look, I'll tell you okay? I was leaving and Kagome said 'sit boy'. As usual I fell face-first to the ground. I asked her what she did that for and then…"

#BACK#


And so he told her what happened. And now they were running along again. Kaja halted him. "Hold on."

Inuyasha scratched his head. "Why?"

"We have to wait for everyone else to catch up silly."

His ears lowered sadly. "Oh…"

Kaja quickly thought up something. "As soon as you see them we can go without speaking. Just have to make sure they're not dead or anything. They're a bit slow so you can mess around if you want."

"Who's slow?"

Kaja almost jumped. She hadn't noticed the presence in the tree. I have a feeling that I amgoing to grow to hate how he does that. "Sesshomaru." A long boa/tail hanging from a nearby tree was their only sign.

Inuyasha grumbled and pulled his Tetsusaiga. Kaja was staring at it, obviously curious about it, and he smirked. Let's see if that trick works again. He closed his eyes and reopened them. His eyes flashed apure bright gold and Tetsusaiga transformed.

Kaja had backed away in surprise. "How did you do that?"

Inuyasha smiled proudly. "I taught myself to do it."

Kaja was moving toward the sword to touch it.

Inuyasha's smile disappeared. "No! Kaja don-" Kaja poked at the sword. Inuyasha cracked an eye open to peer at the damage. Both of his eyes opened fully in shock. Nothing happened. Kaja was examining her fingers. Smidge of smoke from the initial electrical shock tintedthem brown. She wiped it off on her kimono and it was gone.

She frowned. "I can't touch it."

Inuyasha sweatdropped. "Umm, yeah." That's weird. I thought it would have fried her.

That actually hurt! He could have said something! Kaja swatted Inuyasha's head. "Itai!" What was that for?"

She shrugged. "Nothing. What are you going to do about it?"

Inuyasha put Tetsusaiga back in its sheath. Kaja ducked as Inuyasha swiped his arm at her. He smirked. "Keep still."

"Not on your life."

Inuyasha chased her. "Inuyasha!"

"Get back here!" Inuyasha and Kaja were laughing and chasing each other, occasionally swiping at each other.

Sesshomaru sighed and shook his head at them. Such childish games. Yet he felt ...something from this. Him sitting at a distance as Inuyasha and Tazekaja had their fun. There was a familiar feel to it, as if he had done this before. Though it was hardly visible, Sesshomaru frowned. He didn't want to feel that familiarity anymore.


And that's how Kagome and the others found them. Kagome was silent as she watched the two play with each other. They look so happy…

Sango and Miroku were speechless. Shippou looked up at them from Kagome's lap. "I've never heard Inuyasha laughing like that before."

Sango nodded. "I had yet to see him so happy and carefree."

Miroku shook his head in surprise. "I've never seen this kind of behavior from him. It is a good change though." Sango and Shippou nodded.

Kagome cleared her throat irritably. "If you two are done, can we go now?" Kaja stopped and Inuyasha ran into her. He wasn't ready for her to stop like that, so he turned it into a tackle.

Kaja yelped. "Ack!" She tumbled over with Inuyasha's arms around her. "Alright, alright. You have me so you win." Inuyasha smirked and got up, but didn't let go. Kaja was lifted off of the ground. "Inuyasha!" She laughed. "Come on. Be a good youkai and put me down."

"Me? A good youkai? 'Fraid not."

"Inuyasha! We have somewhere to go remember? And you want shards right?"

Inuyasha placed her down on the ground at the mention of shards. "Let's go."


Sango looked sadly at Kagome as she watched her flinch at the contact between Inuyasha and Kaja. I know it hurts my friend. But you may be too late to win his heart…

Miroku saw the look of longing on Kagome's face. If only Inuyasha could see…But between Lady Tazekaja and that argument, Kagome's chances may be slim to none.

Sesshomaru jumped down from his tree and scared the group on Kirara's back. He stalked over and grabbed Kaja away from Inuyasha. "Enough games. You have somewhere to go? Then let's go." He dragged Kaja away for a while and everyone followed. But after a threatening growl or two from Inuyasha, Sesshomaru got annoyed with his protectiveness. "Is there a problem halfling?"

"Don't call me that and let her go."

Sesshomaru considered. If I let go, he'll think I fear him. But if I mess with this wench…it'll enrage him greatly… … Perfect. Sesshomaru smirked, pleased with his plan. "And if I don't?" As he predicted Inuyasha began to get angry.

"Let go of her."

"You act as if I'm going to kidnap her." He pulled the priestess closer. "I'm right here and so is she." Kaja squirmed, but Sesshomaru wasn't letting go.

Inuyasha bared his fangs and glared icily at his half-brother. He's trying to aggravate me. … And it's working. In a flash of gold, Tetsusaiga was out and transformed.

Kaja gasped. "Inuyasha! What are you doing!"

"Yes, 'what?' indeed. You wouldn't harm me and chance hitting your precious priestess would you? And besides, as long as this curse is in effect, you can't hurt me. Remember?"

Inuyasha growled menacingly but complied and put the sword away. grew irritated at being held hostage. Her ear twitched in annoyance. Inuyasha saw this and smirked. He had been on the receiving end of this many times. He backed away a little. "I'd let her go if I were you."

"And Kami forbid if you were ever me or vice-versa. I'm not letting go."

Inuyasha shook his head and Kaja's eyes began to flash silver. "Okay. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Sesshomaru tilted his head at him. "What?" Sesshomaru flew back and landed in a tree. Smoke raised from the spot he was in. Kaja stood as the silver light died down. Sesshomaru grimacedat the feeling of being electrocuted.

Inuyasha was laughing at him. He had a smug, I-told-you-so look on his face. "Well? What are you doing Sesshomaru? You wanted to go, so let's go." Inuyasha laughed some more as he and Kaja went off. The others followed quietly as they digested all this and Sesshomaru grumbled to himself about lightning-happy priestesses. Inuyasha jumped from tree to tree. Unfortunately, he was alone because Kaja couldn't jump around in trees very fast and preferred to run on the ground. This gave him time to brood. And what else would he brood about, but his argument with Kagome. The longer he thought about it, the more he forgot about the things Kaja said. How she told him it wasn't true. How she told him Kagome was wrong and he was worth everything. How she told him she didn't care what anybody thought, and that he meant everything to her and would do anything for him. The more he thought, the less he paid attention he paid to his surroundings. If not so lost in thought…he wouldn't have ran right into someone. Inuyasha was thrown back by the figure as it threw fire at him. The fire burned and bound him to a tree. If I don't move, I'll fry. If I move, the fire rips through me. What do I do? Inuyasha felt tired as the heat and smell of burning and his own blood was getting to his sensitive nose.

"Inuyasha?" Kaja stepped out into the open and the figure stared at her. Kaja glared at the figure. "Who are you?" Inuyasha hissed in pain and then relief as the figure lifted the fire. The figure smirked and revealed itself to be a woman.

She was old, but not like Kaede's age. "What? Don't you recognize me? You should."

Inuyasha rose slowly and balanced himself. "What are you talking about wench?"

The woman feigned hurt. "You two of all youkais should recognize me."

"Oh? And why do you say that?" Sesshomaru landed gracefully on the ground and Kagome and the others got off of Kirara's back. The cat demon went back to her small kitten form.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha! Are you okay?" She was going to run to his side, but he held his hand as a gesture for her to stay back. No words; just a signal. And Kagome felt a tinge of hurt. But I suppose I deserve it. Inuyasha doesn't know that someone was in my head. So I guess he's still mad at me…

Inuyasha and Kaja looked at each other and then the figure. Kaja shook her head. "I don't remember you. What do you want?" The woman smiled evilly. "I'm hurt. Inuyasha…I'm surprised to see you alive after that fire. I guess my directions to your village got through, but not the directions to your particular hut. Tell me. How is your mother?"

Inuyasha looked shocked.


#FLASH#

"Fire!"

#BACK#

"Run! The village is burning! We'll die!"

#FLASH#

"Inuyasha! Run my child! Get out of here while you can. You can't save us both…you're far too young to die this way…run…"

#BACK#

"MOTHER!"

#FLASH#

Fire licked at the hut and its captive. Tears streamed down a young Inuyasha's face as he was forced to watch his mother die slowly in the fire. Laughter of unknown people echoed in his ears along with his mother's involuntary screams.

#BACK#


Inuyasha stared with blank, empty eyes at the woman. She turned to Kaja. "Well. It looks like he remembers. Surely you do as well…" Kaja stared confusedly at her. "Come now. I'm sure you remember your adventure in the forest. Running along, safe. But somehow you were found. Too young to use your powers or even know about them. You were defenseless. Weren't the men I sent after you nice?"

Kaja put her hand to her head in pain as the memories flooded her.


#FLASH#

A surprise attack a castle. War cries.

#BACK#

A young girl isseparated from her friends.

#FLASH#

"Kaja!

"Inuyasha!"

Two voices cry back in response.

#BACK#

Run. Run. Pant. Run. Run.

#FLASH#

"What do we have here? What a lovely girl you are."

#BACK#

"Come here!"

#FLASH#

The sound of chains rattling and bounding some poor soul to the ground. Screams. Pain and confusion.

#BACK#

Why are they doing this? It hurts… How did they find me?

#FLASH#

A young Tazekaja is left on the ground. Motionless and just about broken. Whatever innocence she had left was now diminished. Empty eyes stared at the black sky as she lay in a pool of blood.

#BACK#


Tazekaja blinked and stared emptily at the woman as well. Kagome and the others had no idea as to what was going on. They did not know this woman or what she was talking about. But judging from the looks on their faces, Tazekaja and Inuyasha did. Sango looked at Sesshomaru. He looked back when he noticed she was staring and snorted. "I don't know what she means, so don't even ask me."

Sango didn't understand. "He's your brother, regardless of you hating him. Surely, you know something."

Sesshomaru looked away and shook his head. Now that I think about it, I should know. Sesshomaru frowned to himself. Why do I sound so concerned? He pondered over it. His mind provided a comfort, or rather, an excuse for him. Just in case there's a weakness to be exposed,his mind told him.He nodded to himself and watched the scene play out before him.

The strange woman smirked. "Ahh, you two remember? Does the name Naomi ring a bell?" Inuyasha glared at her with a hate that even Sesshomaru hadn't witnessed yet. He could feel the anger, hate, and pain consuming him. Tetsusaiga began to glow in protest. I nuyasha knew Tetsusaiga was keeping him in check. He didn't want that this time. He knew what would happen, but there was a goal, a focus, and he wanted it done. Inuyasha held up a glowing Tetsusaiga in its sheath and flung it at Sango. She caught it and Kagome gasped loudly. "No! Sango throw it back to him!"

Sango turned to Kagome and looked at her confusedly. "Kagome? What's wrong?" ((Let's say that nobody except Kagome and Shippou have seen Inuyasha's psycho full youkai side. And Sessy-chan hasn't seen it neither. He stopped the first because…he passed out from wounds he received before transforming.))

"You gotta-" She was interrupted by a flash and Kagome knew it was too late.


Inuyasha's full youkai form stood, smirking evilly. Markings like Sesshomaru's were now present and red eyes glared at the woman. But he didn't go crazy like before. He had a calm, homicidal feel around him. The woman, identifying herself as Naomi, paled. She hadn't expected this and Inuyasha gave another scary and evil smirk. "What's wrong? Scared? You should be." His voice was different. It was deeper and had a dark edge to it.

Sesshomaru was fairly surprised. He snapped his eyes onto Kagome. He growled and pointed at her and she looked at him. "You. How did he do that?"

Kagome looked sadly at Inuyasha and sighed. "You know how Inuyasha turns human during the new moon?" Sesshomaru nodded. "Well you see…if Inuyasha gets angry enough, he turns into a full youkai. Usually, Tetsusaiga would hold the transformation back, but he flung it away from him so the sword couldn't stop him."

Shippou decided to add something in. "Yeah, but something bothers me about this transformation."

Kagome looked down to the small kitsune demon. "What's that?"

Shippou scratched his head. "Well he's not all wild like he was the last time. He went mad last time, and just went around killing anything or anyone he saw. Nearly killed us too. But this time he's calmer... and it's scaring me."

Kagome's eyes widened as she realized he was right. Miroku moved forward, as if to do something. "We have to stop him somehow. What if he does go crazy? What if he's just waiting to—"

"No." All eyes turned to Sesshomaru. "There's nothing you can do and you know it, so don't be stupid. Though that's typical of you idiot humans, you shouldn't bother." Sesshomaru sat down against a tree. "All you can do is watch and hope he doesn't kill you. He can't hurt me due to the curse so it doesn't matter at all to me."

As much as they hated it, he was right. There was no way they could harm him or get through to him, so they did the only thing they could do. They watched and hoped it would turn out okay.


Inuyasha tilted his head, like he was actually confused. "Problem? Not so confident are you? If you thought I'd be hard to deal with…then take a look at the priestess."

Naomi and everyone else looked at Kaja and all of them, minus Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, paled. "No…this can't be…"

Inuyasha leered darkly. "She's a demon too. Remember?"

Tazekaja was lost. An amulet rose around her neck and was glowing brightly. It struggled to remain around her neck. She let the rage, hate, and pain of the past swallow her whole. Inuyasha stepped behind her. He revealed sharper and longer fangs as he raised his fully clawed hand. "Just as Tetsusaiga checks my transformation, this amulet suppresses hers." In one swift move, he cut the chain holding the amulet around her. The amulet fell into her hand. She closed her hand around it as a black light surrounded her. A flash like Inuyasha's and she was transformed. The amulet was raised in her closed and clawed hand. She crushed it and its remains blew away in a breeze.

Unlike Inuyasha, Kaja changed in appearance more. Her light aqua eyes were now a sharp amethyst. Thin and dark markings were apparent and the small, formerly faintpale violet star, was now a darker shade and fully visible. Her pale blue hair and any other spot that was pale blue was now a deep midnight blue. She looked down at her kimono and grimaced. A couple swipes and she had ripped off the bottom of it, leaving enough to fall just above her knees. She left the sleeves and they covered all of her arms, except her slightly visible claws from underneath.

Naomi backed away slightly as dark violet and evil red glared at her. Both were obviously planning to kill her, but she'd put up a fight as best she could against two enraged, currently full-blooded youkai. Inuyasha jumped up and slashed down. She barely managed to move. As soon as she dodged his slash, Kaja hit her and she was thrown back.

THUD

Naomi slid down from a tree, launched a hasty, and therefore light, fire spell at them, and ran. Inuyasha and Kaja burst through the attack like it was never launched and chased after her, clearly intent on killing her and playing at the same time. It was the only reason she wasn't dead yet.


"Impressive." Perhaps he isn't so worthless after all. Sesshomaru didn't move, but seemed perfectly satisfied with lying there against the tree.

Kagome went running after them and Shippou went along, simply because she was carrying him at the time. Miroku paused and called out after her. "Kagome!" He looked unsure, but ran after Kagome and Shippou. Sango told Kirara to stay here and left as well. Sesshomaru cracked an eye open, he shrugged and continued to sit there.

Kirara tilted her head at him. "?"


That's all in this chapter. So…do you love it? Hate it? Tell me!

REVIEW PLEASE!

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